Skip to content

Set an out-of-office reply

Choose the reply text, response interval and start/stop times.

Where Tools → Email → Autoresponders → Add Autoresponder

Before you start

  • Create a mailbox or forwarder with this address first if you want to retain incoming mail.
  • Prepare a short reply and return date without unnecessary personal or travel details.

Steps

  1. 1

    Open Autoresponders and click Add Autoresponder.

  2. 2

    Leave Character Set at utf-8 for normal text. Set Interval in hours: it limits how often the same sender receives a reply, not how long every reply is delayed.

  3. 3

    Enter Subject and Body. Leave This message contains HTML unticked for plain text; tick it only for valid HTML.

  4. 4

    Click Create. Later, use the matching address’s edit or delete action in Current Autoresponders to change or stop it.

  5. 5

    Enter the mailbox name in Email and choose its domain. Enter a readable display name in From.

    Set the reply interval and source address.
  6. 6

    Under Start choose Immediately or Custom. Under Stop choose Custom for a holiday reply and set its end time, checking the form’s time information. Never keeps it active until you change it.

    Scroll to the body and start/stop controls before creating the reply.

Check it worked

  • Check the address and subject in the list.
  • Send an external test. Repeated tests from the same sender may be suppressed by the interval.